Studies question UN efforts to save mothers

June 30, 2014 1:07 AM

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LONDON: In the past decade, billions of dollars have been spent in trying to save the lives of mothers in developing countries using strategies — usually inexpensive drugs — deemed essential by the UN health agency. Yet two large analyses of maternal health programmes — including one conducted by the UN itself — report that the efforts appeared almost useless, raising troubling questions about why all that money was spent.

While critics are calling for the pricey global initiatives to be significantly overhauled, the programmes are still being implemented despite little proof they work.